Some days, all you can do is duck and cover. However, as effective as that strategy can be, it doesn't get stuff done, and it doesn't prevent new stuff from hitting the Master List. So sometimes, an even better strategy is to just stop.
Now, I do realize that this doesn't necessarily solve either of the problems I mentioned above. However, it does allow you to better assess where things are, what is left to be done, what can be put off, and what needs your attention rightnothisverysecond. It allows you to do one of the most important things in your daily life: prioritize.
As of now, the Master List For Work reads something like this: reconcile the selection routing sheets for upwards of 75 folders, review all new items, fix all of the edits on selections in the system, extend contracts to teachers for item writing and reviewing, email teachers to help solve their issues, or to gently blow them off if needs be, prepare training materials for an upcoming session, try to figure out where the rest of my stuff is for the new part of my job, organize my desk better so that I am not driving myself nuts trying to find things, clean out rejected selection folders and shift their status in the system, do all of the EC and ESL reviews for over a dozen assessments, write my own fill-in items, start to build test forms, and about a dozen other things that I haven't even thought about today. Obviously, there is no way to get this all done in a day, or even a month. Many of these are ongoing. However, some of it can be done in a day, but it requires a solid block of time, preferably uninterrupted. Now, I don't know about your office, but in mine, the word "uninterrupted" is somewhat of a source of amusement. Its rarity makes it precious and valuable, but it also makes attaining it nearly impossible.
And of course, like any other working parent, my Real Job starts when I walk out of the office. I pick up the Ambassador, run any errands that need doing, and head home to deal with dinner. After dinner, I may or may not have kitchen duty. At that point, I am wiped out. The idea of tackling my Master List At Home is so daunting that I don't even try. So things pile up. Weekends can offer some time to knock some items off, but when away games and unexpected circumstances crop up, time grows really short. So when our friends wanted to see how our house was laid out, I showed them. But holy hell, did I cringe. It made me realize how far away from me that Master List has gotten, and how desperately I need to take some time to address it. It's gotten to where I have sub-lists for different rooms, because the list has grown so huge.
I realize that I have to take my limitations into consideration, but man, there are days when I just want to say "screw it" and blitz all out until everything is done. Too bad it isn't actually possible!
And so, today, I have decided to stop. Stop totally, step back, and revise the Master Lists into priorities. Stephen Covey denotes the difference between "urgency" and "importance" and it's time for me to do the same with the things I need to get done. Otherwise, I'm going to go crazier than I already am.
But for right now, my first priority above all, is to take a deep breath, and realize that the world will not stop revolving if I don't get it all done. I think this one may be the toughest!
